The Archbishop said people should be able to access first class care regardless of where they less.

He called for better coordination of services and "not a culture of winner-takes-all excellence".

"This unit serves the whole region and has saved the lives of so many across Yorkshire and further afield," he said.

"It is inconceivable that we could lose such a fantastic integrated local service.

"We need a strong NHS serving a large number of children. Closing the specialist heart unit at Leeds will have a devastating effect on so many people. It would be terrible news for people across Yorkshire.

"Whilst I understand the difficult economic situation we face as a country, we should not get into a situation where one NHS Trust is played off against another."